Lubango - Angola's Minister of Energy and Water, João Baptista Borges, underlined on Friday in Lubango the commitment of the Permanent Commission for the Okavango River Basin (OKACOM) to ensure sustainable and shared management of water resources, taking into account the organization's projects.
The Minister made the statement at the opening of the 8th Ordinary Session of the OKACOM Ministerial Forum, which coincides with the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the Commission.
According to the Minister, projects such as the implementation of OKACOM's Strategic Plan, funded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF), are being implemented to improve the living conditions of communities by promoting sustainable agriculture, conservation and fishing practices.
João Baptista Borges pointed out that a project for small grants to support livelihoods is underway, as well as a fund for its operational and strategic objectives, being a lever for raising funds from investors in the basin, among others.
According to the Minister, these are projects that demonstrate the dynamism and commitment of all the countries involved to ensure sustainable and shared management of water resources, in line with OKACOM's vision, which is the economically prosperous, socially equitable and environmentally healthy development of the Cubango-Okavango Basin.
Member States recognize the dynamism of Angola's chairmanship of OKACOM
Onneetse Ramogapi, Minister of Water and Human Settlements of Botswana, in his opening speech, emphasized that OKACOM has achieved "great" results during Angola's presidency, which should be welcomed, in addition to the country's contribution to the project.
Botswana, said the minister, is committed to cooperation and recognizes the indispensability of assisting upstream states in the collection of water for their development, taking into account the sustainability of the ecosystem.
For the Director General of Namibia's National Planning Commission, Obeth Kandjoze, the meeting comes at a time when Namibia is facing the challenges of climate change and rainfall variability that are causing "drastic" changes in shared watercourses, exacerbating and affecting socio-economic and environmental life.
According to thje Namibian official, now is time to strengthen the Union and develop strategies to sustain and protect the use of water resources in the Cubango-Okavango River Basin for the benefit of all member states, without compromising the sustainability of the riparian ecosystem. MS/TED/AMP
